Travel Advisory

(U) Introduction
(U) This report analyzes the newly launched Google Voice service, which is a unified communications service that is currently in closed beta testing and is only available to users invited by Google. A general description of Google Voice is provided, and the use of Google Voice by small businesses is introduced as a likely popular use of the service once it is officially launched to the general public. The various services and applications are described in detail. General privacy and security issues are described. The service is currently available only in the US.

(U) TABLE OF CONTENTS
(U) Executive Summary 1
(U) overview 2
(U) Outlook
(U) System design
(U) Number Assignment
(U) Number Porting
(U) Placing Calls
(U) Long Distance
(U) Gmail Integration
(U) Applications
(U) Voice Mail Transcription
(U) SMS
(U) Google Voice Mobile
(U) Call Blocking
(U) Mobile Phone Applications
(U) Additional Services
(U) Security and Privacy
(U) EndNotes

(U) Executive Summary
(U) Google Voice is a recently launched unified communications service that provides users with a centralized, web-based location to organize and handle calls, text messages, and voice mails from up to six phones.
(U) In March 2009, Google launched the closed beta testing of the new Google Voice service, with the addition of national and international Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service. The national VoIP service is available free of charge, and the international VoIP service is available at low prices.
(U) Google Voice is a free unified communications service that provides subscribers with one phone number for all of a customer’s phones. Customers can have up to six phone numbers unified under the Google phone number.
(U) A variety of services are available via Google Voice, including text messaging, voice mail transcription, call blocking, and integration with Gmail.
(U) Google Voice is not a traditional phone service or VoIP